In a photolithographic step during manufacture of a semiconductor device, a developer is supplied to a substrate, on which a resist film has been formed and which has been exposed along a predetermined pattern, so as to form a resist pattern. The developing process is sometimes performed by a method in which a puddle of a developer is formed on the whole substrate by moving a nozzle having an elongate discharge opening from one end of the substrate to the other end thereof while discharging the developer from the discharge opening. Since the puddle is formed while the substrate is under a stationary state, this developing method is described as “stationary developing method” as a matter of convenience. Patent Document 1 describes an example of the stationary developing method. In addition, there is another developing method in which a nozzle is moved while a substrate is rotated so as to move a position at which a developer is supplied along a radius of the rotating substrate. A liquid film of the developer is formed on the substrate by the movement of the supply position of the developer and a centrifugal action, and the developer forming the liquid film flows. This developing method is described as “rotary developing method” as a matter of convenience. Patent Document 2 describes an example of the rotary developing method.
A circular semiconductor wafer (hereinafter described as “wafer”) is used as a substrate, for example. A wafer size is tending to be larger and the use of a wafer of 450 mm in diameter is under review recently. When the stationary developing method is employed, a discharge opening of a nozzle should be configured to cover the diameter of a wafer, whereby the nozzle and thus a developing apparatus including the nozzle becomes larger. In addition, in this developing apparatus, among the developer which is discharged from the discharge opening, the developer discharged to the outside of a wafer is wasted. When a wafer is larger, an amount of the liquid to be wasted increases. Namely, a great amount of developer is used for processing one wafer. Further, when the developer is reacted with a resist, a concentration of the developer decreases so that a reactivity thereof lowers. Since a puddle is under a stationary state, the reacted developer remains on the same position in the puddle. Namely, it possibly takes relatively a long time for the stationary developing method to develop a wafer.
On the other hand, in the rotary developing method, a wafer is rotated while a developer is discharged. Due to the rotation of the wafer, the developer discharged onto the wafer may spatter, and the liquid spatters as particles may contaminate the wafer. When the diameter of a wafer is large, since an amount of liquid to be supplied to the wafer increases, the risk of liquid spattering rises. Patent Document 3 describes a technique in which a lower end of a nozzle is brought into contact with a process liquid supplied from the nozzle, and a liquid film is formed on the substrate by rotating the substrate. However, the technique of Patent Document 3 cannot solve the above problems.